Progress in science and scholarship rarely arrives with fanfare. It grows steadily through years of inquiry, rigorous experimentation, and a relentless drive to understand the world more clearly. Celebrating this quiet but transformative labour, the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) has announced the recipients of the Infosys Prize 2025, honouring six researchers whose work is shaping the future of knowledge across disciplines.
The annual award, one of India’s most respected recognitions for research excellence, spans six categories: Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, and Economics. Each laureate receives a gold medal, a citation, and a prize of $100,000 (or its equivalent in Indian Rupees). ISF Trustee and Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy emphasised the value of scientific inquiry, describing research as an endeavour that brings together reason, values, ethics, and dignity.
This year’s winners exemplify that spirit. Their breakthroughs range from foundational mathematics to sustainable chemical processes, from ancient languages to modern algorithms, and each demonstrates how intellectual effort can influence society in profound and unexpected ways.
Decoding Patterns and Powering Sustainability
Two winners this year have advanced our understanding of the world at its most fundamental levels through mathematical abstraction and physical processes that support the energy systems of the future.
Mathematical Sciences
The prize in Mathematical Sciences has been awarded to Sabyasachi Mukherjee, associate professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. Mukherjee’s research explores elegant connections that link diverse branches of mathematics, particularly through group dynamics and complex analysis. His work examines how patterns emerge from simple rules and reveals both order and chaos in mathematical systems. These insights strengthen the theoretical foundation on which modern mathematical research continues to progress.
Physical Sciences
In the Physical Sciences category, Karthish Manthiram, a professor of chemical engineering and chemistry at Caltech, has been recognised for pioneering sustainable chemical processes powered by renewable electrical energy. His research aims to replace carbon-intensive industrial pathways with cleaner, electricity-driven alternatives. By developing methods that turn renewable energy into efficient chemical fuels, Manthiram’s work offers significant promise for a world seeking environmental responsibility and long-term ecological stability.
From Living Systems to Digital Infrastructure
Two other laureates have deepened our understanding of how life functions at the molecular level and how modern digital systems operate behind the scenes.
Life Sciences
The Life Sciences prize has gone to Anjana Badrinarayanan, associate professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. Her research investigates how living cells maintain stability, repair themselves, and recover from stress. By studying the mechanisms that keep biological systems resilient, her work contributes to a deeper understanding of disease, ageing, and the delicate balance that sustains life. These insights may guide future advances in medical science and biotechnology.
Engineering and Computer Science
In the Engineering and Computer Science category, Sushant Sachdeva, associate professor at the University of Toronto, has been honoured for his work on algorithms and optimization. These mathematical tools determine how efficiently modern systems such as hospital networks, transportation grids, and communication platforms can function. Sachdeva’s research strengthens the computational backbone of the digital world and contributes to faster and more reliable systems that support millions of people.
Shaping Culture and Optimizing Opportunity
The final two categories highlight the power of human thought and the ways in which cultures evolve, societies function, and opportunities are distributed.
Humanities
In Humanities and Social Sciences, the award has been presented to Andrew Ollett, associate professor at the University of Chicago. Ollett is a leading scholar of Prakrit languages and Indian intellectual traditions. His work explores how ancient linguistic practices shaped literary cultures, philosophical ideas, and intellectual life over centuries. By tracing these influences, he offers a richer and more nuanced understanding of India’s civilisational continuity.
Economics
The Economics prize has been awarded to Nikhil Agarwal Paul, Sam Nelson Professor of Economics at MIT. Paul specialises in market design, a field that creates systems to connect individuals to opportunities in fair and efficient ways. His research has improved processes such as school choice allocation, medical residency matching, and kidney exchange programmes. By connecting theory with real-world needs, Paul’s work ensures that social systems operate with greater transparency and equity.
The Infosys Prize 2025 serves as a reminder that meaningful progress depends on patient, committed, and imaginative scholarship. The six laureates honoured this year embody that commitment and show how research across disciplines and continents remains one of humanity’s most powerful tools for building a better future.
